Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-10
LOW RATES FOR ACTORS.
= ROUGH JOKE IN THE INTER-
SHAlh. COMMISSION.

snow cred on Tbs UnIuCky COmmt--
siOners - The National Amusement
Protective Association Organized at
Chicago-BiE Claims Made TOR the FRO
fesstou.
CHICAGO, April 9.-The managers and
other representatives Of different theatre
cal interests met at Ho0lcy's Theatre To-
day to take action deslsnod t. avert the
disastrous effects TO travelling companies
by the interstate railroad law. Col. Nc
Caull occupied the chair, and about thirty
other managers and representatives OF
different theatres in Chicago were pres
ent. The name recommended for the or
ganization VAS "The National Amuse-
ment Protective Association" to haye
Its headquarters in Chicago. A COM
mite presented o memorial or petit
tion TO the Interstate Railroad
Commission. Copies OF this are to ne
sent 10 overy theatre and theatrical com
pany in the country with instructions for
each employe or member, or any person
interested in the welfare Of the theatrical
professionals mail one to the Secretary of
the Railroad Commission at Wash
ington. The result of putting
this plan in operation the commit,
tee said would be that the Commas
sioners would soon have 10000 pc
titiOns per day pouring in on them.
David Harrison was chosen President
and Charles Fl. Williams Secretary. The
petition, which will be sent to the Rail-
road Commission, asks that the prOvis-
ions of the new law as applied to tue
| amusement profession be suspended for
twenty days, for the reason that all exist
ing contracts between travelling cumpg-
MES and local managers were entered into
before the law was passed. The petition
also asks the commission to 30 interpret
the law so as permit railroad companies
to make reduced rates for theatrical par
ties of not less than ten persons,
| and increase the allowance of bag
gage, with concessions for carloads
OF scenery. The petition thus presents
the situation as IL affects the theatrical
business: There are about 800 organ
| lied combinations constantly travelling
| (including circuses) which employ IN
the aggregate upward OF 10000 adults.
There are upwards of $500 theatres,
opera houses and places of amusement in
the United States, giving employment to
about 10000 persons. These local amuse-
| ment places could not exist, nor any re-
turn on the immense capital invested
therein, be had except through the CO.
operation of the 800 travelling COM
blnatiOns playing engagements through
out the year in tho respective houses.
There are at least $4,000 persons en-
plOyed in collateral branches mainly de-
pendent on the snow business, so-called,
such as printers, cOstumers, bill posters,
scene painters, manufacturers of theatri-
cal wares and merchandise generally. 1t
is a reasonable assumption that there are
$500 people who are dependent for their
support upon the labOrs OF the $4,000
adults above mentioned as being en-
ployed in the amusement profession.
TA fa a
money paid by amusement COM
panies annually to railroad COM
panies is upward of $4,000, 900.
Under the interstate commerce law this
amount would be increased by at least
81, 100000, provided the same number OF
persons travelled as heretofore with the
same amount OF baggage, scenery, etc.
This increased expense represents far
more than tbe aggregate profit of all the
leading amusement enterprises COM
bined."
MAI. FINK's VIEWS.
NEW YORK, April 9.-Commissioner
Fink, Of the Trunk Line Association,
yielded TO the request from Tribune re-
porter for his vie ws of the probable effect
OF the Interstate commerce act. He said:
"Thore would have been no difficulty in
securing to the public beneficial results
from the operation OF the interstate law
Il
sertion OF section No. 4 in such language
as to give rise to different interpretations.
1t is impossible to adapt the tariffs of
this country 10 strict long and short
haul rule. While 1t may be applied to
many roads, and has been practically in
use for many years upon the trunk lines
and tneir Western connections, IL is i'm.
possible to apply Il TO roads which run
through a thinly settled country, such
SDltOQFn
mental systems of road, with
out either bankrupting the roads
II they comply with tho rules, or on the
other hand obstructing commerce il they
withdraw from competition and operate
the roads as mere local roads. 1t seems
strange that a law should pass Congress
which interferes with natural competition
between railways and waterways when
competition is considered by the public
as one Of the most important factors in
the transportation business. 1t was a
great mistake To make an arbitrary rule
of mat sort which is opposed TO the cOm-
mercial interests of the country.
THE FIRST THREE SECTIONS ENOUGH.
III the power of suSpending this rule Is
lodged in the com ~ IssiOn, as some inter-
pref the law, it is impossible to deal
with each individual case, in which it is
Just and proper that the rule should be
suspended. Sections l, . and 3 OF the
law prohibit the making OF unjust and
unreasonable rates as we'll as unjust
discrimination against individuals or
localities. This is all that eau be re-
quired--that if these principles are
violated by railroad companies Il
method 10 provided for correction and
punishment and all abuses heretofore
existing could be gradually adjusted.
The people are fully protected under
thu sc three sections OF the law. Only
those cases would have TO 20 before the
commission in which some
parties felt themselves injur-
cd, while under the Interpretation
given TO section the Commissioners
would have To examine each individual
case occurring on about 100000 miles OF
railroad and decide whether the tariff il
Just and reasonable or not. This is an
impossiDiitY. The law is therefore i'm
practicable OF execution under that con-
structiou and would cause n deal more
injustice, than the Injustice IL was intend
ed to correct. think the decision made
BY the O min ssOn WAS wise one In
giving relief 60 the roads who would have
not compiled with the long and short
rule.
TWO ALTERNATIVES.
'sThe comm ssion viii have to choose be-
tween bankruptlng the whole system Of
railroads and running the commerce of